Xigaze Off The Beaten Path

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The first time I went here was in 2006 when travel was a bit easier. Part of the adventure was taken a beat-up bus from Shigatse to Shalu. This is not very far but back then the bus dropped you off at a dirt road intersection and you had to walk. A nice walk surrounded by the mountains. I think the bus ride was more of an adventure! A unique experience happened. As you may know, many Tibetan travel from Monastery to Monastery to pay respect. The bus was loaded with elderly Tibetan women. During the ride they kept staring at my and pointing to their eyes (I have blue eyes is all I can figure why they did this), then without asking, an older one reached out of her seat and grabbed the hair on my arm and pulled hard! Then she started laughing. They all got a big kick out of this.

Anyway, Shalu is nice and small. I like going to these types of Monasteries because they do not get the traffic of the big and more popular location. The monks and other people are usually so happy to see you. A great experience.